Leftovers

So how’s all that ham going? I basically lose interest with it the minute Christmas lunch is over so much of my time is occupied with recipes using the leftover ham. To, you know, use the remaining SIX kilos of it.

Christmas was wonderful. A relaxed day here feeding family with lots of laughter, delicious food and plenty of sparkling shiraz.

It was followed by my MIL’s birthday celebration, also here. It will go down in history as the Festival of Ham. With cheesecake. Divine divine cheesecake.

The boys have all been rather delicious – I believe I will look back on this next little episode of our lives with a full heart. My boys are not babies anymore and who they will be is slowly revealing itself – a process I feel absolutely blessed to witness. Even if at times my head wants to explode from the less pleasant aspects of it.

Oscar loves his basketball hoop for the trampoline – possibly the finest example of highway robbery by a company I’ve ever been party to. Felix is smitten with his cruiser skateboard and ZOMG he will be 13 this year and that makes my chest tighten. Jasper got his long-pined-for Halo rocket ship. A Megabloks hellzone. There were three lots of tears on Christmas Day at being so overwhelmed by it. I ended up building most of it. Ask my chiropractor how that worked out for everyone. Grover was conflicted, apparently Santa “got it wrong” with his Lego but all was forgiven with a Dr Who sonic screwdriver.

Mum’s left knee has totally packed it in – she’s basically incapacitated so between the two of us we cut quite a pair.

What better way to counter chronic pain and, in mum’s case, now unavoidable joint replacement surgery in 2013 than eating ham. A lot of ham.

It’s a pie of promise (with a quiche in the background for good measure)

Ham and potato pie

Shortcrust pastry – you can NOT go past Maggie Beer’s sour cream pastry, it has revolutionised my fear of working with pastry – it’s hugely forgiving, ridiculously easy to work with and tastes DIVINE.

5-6 waxy potatoes – cooked, peeled and cut into 1/2-1cm slices

700g ham, sliced thinly off the bone

handful fresh basil, finely chopped

handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

salt and pepper

3 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup milk

layer upon layer upon layer

Preheat oven to 180C and grease a 24cm springform tin

Roll out 2/3 of the pastry to about 3mm thick and line the tin – try and do it in one whole piece but don’t stress if it breaks – just smoosh the broken edges together

Place a layer of the potatoes in the bottom, top with ham, then scatter over herbs and seasoning – go light on the salt depending on how salty your ham is

Keep layering and end with ham and herbs then press the filling down firmly

Mix the eggs with the milk and cream, pour over the layers then pop a pastry lid on the top, cut some slits in it and glaze if you feel so inclined

Let it sit for 1/2 hour and then bake for 1-1.5hrs. I always bake it for 1.5 and it comes out a treat – just stick a knife in it and if it’s piping hot it’s good to go.

Leave it to sit for 10-15 minutes once it’s done and then serve with a simple green salad.

Funny. I just bought 5 marked down Christmas hams. I cut them up into 300g bags and freeze them. Last year 4 hams lasted us until October. SO handy when you want a quick meal!!!

http://www.allconsuming.com.au allconsuming

DUDE – that is GENIUS!

Megan

God, you’re a wonderful writer. You should have a column somewhere, like Charmian Clift. Love the recipe. Ham, ham, ham it’s coming out my ears and incapacitated mother living with you? I also have one of those. Happy new year Kim. xxx

http://www.allconsuming.com.au allconsuming

Why thank you lovely lady. And wow, could we mirror each other any more!

http://www.mamamarmalade.com MamaMarmalade

If I ever needed another reason to move back to Australia, it’d Maggie Beer pastry with sour cream. Sour cream is the best food on the planet.

http://www.allconsuming.com.au allconsuming

Sometimes I bake something requiring pastry not because I need to or I have a hankering for the actual recipe I’m making, but simply because I need some Maggie Beer’s sour cream pastry in my life. #nevergoingtobethin

http://www.mamamarmalade.com MamaMarmalade

You could just make Maggie Beer sour cream pastry pie. The filling could be more sour cream pastry #sofullofgoodideas

http://blackbird17.blogspot.com blackbird

That looks perfectly wonderful.

Eternity = one person and a ham. (via my mother)

paola

Look divine!

http://questionsforwomen.org Paula

I loved this post.
I feel exactly the same way about watching the kids grow…
…and the recipes with those pictures!
Divine.
😀 x

http://www.edenriley.com edenland

I was in the car with my mum today, talking about you …. AND THIS VERY HAM AND POTATO PIE. We were both salivating over it on insta. Thank you for recipe, beautiful woman XXX

http://www.allconsuming.com.au allconsuming

You were talking about me? With your mum? Out of ALL THE THINGS you were talking about me? Well, this ego is about to get OUT OF CONTROL! The pie is awesome.

http://www.smellsgoodfeelsgood.com Sara Foley

Damn that looks good! It makes me want to go out and buy one of those discounted hams like one of your clever readers did!